travel tips

Have you ever wondered what world travelers pack in their toiletry bags? I asked my fellow female travel bloggers to share their secrets on staying clean, fresh, and picture ready while jet setting around the globe.

What's In My Toiletry Bag:

Barbara of Jet Settera

• Small shampoo and conditioner
• shower gel
• toothpaste and toothbrush
• deodorant
• small aloe vera for bug bites or sunburn
• sunscreen
• mosquito repellent
• tweezers
• small lotion
• mascara, eyeliner, blush and lipgloass
• hairbrush
• a few hydrating sheet masks.

Patti of The Savvy Globetrotter

I may be a minimalist when it comes to beauty products but I do have some trusty must-haves that always travel with me.

1. Lip balms- Yes, plural.  I like to have one regular and one with SPF protection.  Although technically a men’s brand, I swear by Jack Black with shea butter.
2. Klorane dry shampoo– Great for avoiding “greasies” on long travel days.  I opt for the non-aerosol version.
3. Lotion- The air in planes is very drying so I always stash a small tube of lotion in my carry-on bag.
4. Sunscreen- Always a must when traveling to sunny destinations but I do skip it (and opt for regular face lotion with SPF) if sun exposure is not an issue.  I like Blue Lizard since the cap changes colors to indicate UV rays.
5. Oil of Olay face lotion–  An everyday moisturizer with SPF that I use at home or while traveling when I don’t need proper sunscreen.

Mar of Once in a Lifetime Journey

LC of Birdgehls

• I've replaced disposable razors with a reusable Merkur razor, that I love to bits.
• I brush my hair and teeth with [easyazon_link identifier="B014TK6AUK" locale="US" tag="maro0a-20"]brushes made out of bamboo,[/easyazon_link] which can be composted once they've served their purpose.
• I don't wear much make-up, but when I do, I try to avoid buying products packaged in plastic.
• I love the entire RMS Beauty range and Ilia lipsticks (more colors) in particular.
• I've made my own perfume and toner in the past, using rose petals – I soak the petals for six weeks in vodka for the perfume and boil them in water for toner. I smell pretty good as a consequence, if I don't say so myself!

Allison of Eternal Arrival

My travel toiletries are fairly simple as I’m a carry-on only traveler.

For skin care, I use;

• a mini-bottle of Origins Checks & Balances facewash and organic tamanu oil as a moisturizer.
• I use a physical SPF 50 with zinc oxide since it breaks me out a lot less than the chemical formulations.
• I also have mini hydrocolloid bandages for healing pimples – I love Nexcare’s verison.

For makeup, I swear by the following: Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, also with SPF, Make Up For Ever concealer, Smashbox mascara, and NARS blush. I tend to carry around a few small lipsticks and eye pencils though I rarely use them.

For other toiletries, I buy a simple body wash wherever I am once I land – I don’t have a strong enough alliance to any one body wash to bother transporting it.

• I swear by LUSH solid shampoo – I love their Seanik – and their dry shampoo, No Drought, to go between washings.
• I also carry a Neutrogena sunscreen stick (love my SPF),
• Secret Clinical Strength deodorant (I am a sweaty, sweaty person)
• Venus razors
• I carry a wide-toothed comb as my hair is straight and easy to take care of.
• A small travel towel since I stay mostly in hostels.

And that’s really it!

Hannah of Getting Stamped

I am a girly girl there is no other way to say it…I am that girl who has a hairdryer on the safari packing list  I can’t imagine looking back at my travel photos 20 years from now and regretting always having my hair undone. I don’t do my hair & makeup every day but make sure to look good on epic travel days.

Currently in my toiletry bag is: conditioner, shampoo, makeup remover facial whips, daily face moisturizer, night moisturizer, Clinque face wash (buy this brand because I can get it world wide in airport duty free shops), razors, hair detangling spray, and heat protection spray.

My makeup is all MAC as it’s my preferred brand and like my face wash I can easily pickup more at airport shops, as I don’t like to switch brands. Makeup bag: 2 mascaras, foundation, bronzer, concealer, 6 eyeshadows, blush, mineralizer finish, and 4 makeup brushes. Oh and you can’t forget my hair dryer & hair straightener.

Steph of Every Steph

I tend to be somewhat of a light packer, traveling only with a small backpack or carry on, but if there’s something I can’t compromise on, it’s my toiletries.
I bring everything I might need, and probably exaggerate.

Anyway, this is what you can find in my bag:

• a folding toothbrushand a mini-size toothpaste (I have a thing for miniatures!)
• a brush
• a mini deodorant
• a hand sanitizer gel
• a mini dry shampoo for those travel days where I need to skip a shampoo.
• I usually use refillable bottles to carry my favourite shampoo and shower gel, plus I carry an intimate soap and feminine cleansing wipes.
• Make-up remover wipes and a mini facial wash gel take care of my skin while traveling.
• I also carry a small bottle of Moroccan oil which makes my hair super shiny and hydrated.

Then, I carry a small separate bag for my make-up. I don’t use lots of make-up during the day, but I like to get prettied up when I go out at night. Typical things I bring are a BB cream (lighter than foundation), a lipstick, blush, an eyeliner and mascara. A hair straightener, on shorter trips only, completes the picture.

Chloe of Honeymoon Always

Reaching into your toiletry bag and finding you’ve left your favorite lipstick behind or lost your pair of handy nail clippers can completely throw off your rhythm when traveling. Whether it’s an epic cross-country road trip or a romantic weekend at an exotic all inclusive resort, there are a few toiletry bag essentials that go with me wherever the deliciously tempting wanderlust may pull me.

The list below details what my toiletry bag is filled with:

● Reusable bottles filled with shampoo, conditioner and body wash
● Face Wipes or Baby Wipes
● Deodorant
● Foldable Brush
● Feminine Hygiene Products
● Toothbrush and cap
● Toothpaste
● Floss
● Tweezers
● Q-tips
● Nail Clippers
● Make Up staples (concealer, mascara, eye-liner, lipstick and eyeshadow)
● Sunscreen
● Lip Balm
● Small bottle of lotion
● Tide to Go pen

Trisha of P.S. I'm On My Way

Vicki of Make Time To See The World

I'm not someone who travels with lots of make-up – a black mascara and an eyeliner pen for special occasions is about my limit, and besides the usual shampoo, conditioner and wet wipes, I simply cannot travel without Dry Shampoo. It's a lifesaver!

Perfect for refreshing and revitalizing hair and giving yourself a boost when shower options are limited/restricted. Although there are expensive brands out there, I buy GirlzOnly Dry Shampoo at less than $3 a can! It's such a bargain and I never travel without it!

What about me? Amanda of MarocMama

I used to travel with almost nothing in my makeup bag, however as I get older I'm becoming more attuned to what I need to have on hand. I went from a tiny bag with a few items to a much larger bag that stores everything I could want. However, I always keep whatever is in this bag to carry-on safe size. I transfer enough to a set of travel size container for the trip. It's taken me 30+ years to figure out this makeup/face/hair care thing. I am not ashamed to admit that!  Here's what's in my bag;

• Tarte BB cream with sunscreen
• Clinique face moisturizer
• Urban Decay Naked 2 palette – it's small and travels easily
• Smashbox contouring palette
• Becca Skin Highlighter
• Smashbox always sharpened eyeliner
• IT cosmetics concealer
• makeup wipes
• mascara
• NYX lipstain
• LUSH solid shampoo
• Davines Love conditioner (I LOVE this!)
• pure argan oil for my face, skin and to detangle my hair ends
• Secret clinical strength deodorant
• toothbrush and toothpaste.

Now that you know what to pack, find a toiletry bag that fits your style. Here are a few of my current favorites:

The Baggallini line carries everything from a bright, fun travel trio organizer to a compact cosmetic case and I love the trendy look and storage space offered by Dakine Prima's toiletry tote. For those who want simple and basic, you can't beat the Victorinox overnight kit.

Frequent travelers know airport rules and regulations around liquid carry-ons can be a pain. If you travel often with carry-on only luggage having your liquids in approved containers is really important. When you begin shopping for the right travel accessories the first thing you should keep in mind is that you should only be purchasing 100ml travel bottles. Anything larger won't be accepted. I also like to have different colored bottles so that I can see at a glance what is in each container.

If you're in the market for new travel containers here are a few options to consider.

The Best Travel Bottles for Toiletries

Soft'n Style Travel Bottle Set

These are a pretty standard and inexpensive travel bottle set. If you're someone that has a tendency to forget things in your hotel room or leave things behind you may not want to invest in something expensive. These are perfect.

Gotoob 3 pack Silicone Travel Bottles

These are my personal favorite. I like that you can squeeze them easily without breaking them – especially helpful for things like hair conditioner. They're colored but you can see through them and know when they need to be refilled.

Go Tubb – 3 pack

These little tubs are great for smaller things like pills or pastes. The containers are flexible and the lids pop off with a little squeeze so it can be done even with one hand. You never know when you might want to have them on hand. 

4 Travel Accessory Bottles + Toothbrush Case and Pouch  

Make it easy and pick up this set to have all your bases covered! Use as many or few of the bottles as you like and have your TSA approved see-through 1 quart bag covered as well.

Bodico Carry-On Friendly Travel Pouch with Containers & Labels

Carry-on friendly travel pouch with containers and labels. I like that these have different sizes and varieties of containers, especially the smaller ones with a screw on lid for thicker pastes.

Travel Containers for Clothing

Packing Cubes

I never used to use packing cubes but I swear by them today. Not only do they keep my suitcase organized but I can put away my more delicate items so that they are not on display for the entire world should security decide to open my suitcase. Not sure how to pack with packing cubes? Click the link for a great tutorial.

Baggallini Luggage Complete Cosmetic Bag

Just like my clothes, I like to keep my cosmetic items in one place. I simply pull my bag out and put it in the bathroom where I can use what I need, when I need it without searching through my entire suitcase to find it. This is also great if you're staying in a space with a shared bathroom so that you can keep your items separate.

If you're like most people, you choose the cheapest flight when you are traveling and don't always have brand loyalty. Many people don't see a reason in this case to sign up for an airlines frequent flyer programs, assuming they'll never earn enough for free flights, however you could be surprised at how fast miles add up. Free flights aren't the only way to use frequent flyer miles, nor is flying the only way to earn frequent flyer miles. 

Every airline has their own parameters on their loyalty program and it can be confusing to keep it all straight. Signing up for email updates is one way to keep in touch with any changes or alerts for mileage expiring. If you've gotten word that your miles will expire soon – here are a few ways to keep them active, most of which are free!

Go Shopping!

Chances are you shop online anyway. But, did you know many airlines also have shopping portals where you can earn miles for things you're going to buy anyway. It doesn't cost you anything extra but you get the bonus. Earn extra “rewards” when you purchase something like a flower delivery. You get miles, activity in your frequent flyer account, and points with that special someone! 

Hotel Stays

There are two ways to earn miles from hotel stays. The first is through programs that are linked together such as Hilton and American Airlines (and many others). The other is through special websites like Rocketmiles. This is an interesting program. You can use it to seek out hotel rooms wherever you go and earn extra miles depending on where you stay. For example, I recently looked to book a hotel in New York City for three nights. Not only did the site give me a rate that was on par with other booking engines but I was able to earn an average of 7,000 miles on American Airlines for my stay.  

Want to try Rocketmiles? When you sign up with this link and make your first stay you'll get a bonus 1,000 miles!

Try Rocketmiles

Vouchers

We find that we are far better off cashing out our miles to supermarket vouchers with the Qantas frequent flier program. We then use it for our groceries and use our grocery money for flights. We find that the taxes and charges we are charged on top of using our points for flights usually cost more than flying with a budget airline on the same route anyway so it's really not worth it for us to use the points for flights.
Sharon of  Where's Sharon

Gift Cards

In Canada, AirMiles and Aeroplan points have been the dominant points programs for years. They can be collected at many stores, as well as with credit cards. However, we have never cashed them in for flights. We use them primarily for gift cards, whether it be fuel, Costco or gifts for Christmas, cashing them out this way has always been a better deal for us than using them to book a flight!

Lindsay of Carpediemourway.com

Magazines and Charity Donations

To keep my miles valid/active, I often use some of the miles for a magazine subscription. It is an “inexpensive” way to keep my account from disappearing altogether. I've done this mainly with American, Delta, and United, though some other airlines also have this option.

One other way to keep your miles active is to donate some to a charity. Many airline sites have their own special charities that you can just click and donate to. I was able to do this with some useless-to-me miles I had on Icelandic.

Carole of Travels with Carole

Dining

Many programs have a dining program attached to their frequent flyer program. Again, this doesn't cost you anything extra and you earn miles while keeping your already earned miles active. For example with the American Airlines dining program you simply input your usual payment card and then anytime you dine in a participating restaurant and use that card to pay the extra miles are added to your account. 

Mile Giveaways

I've had a few emails lately from different airline flying programs I participate in offering free miles for participating in a program or survey. There are a wide variety of different ways they offer these miles and you likely won't earn thousands of miles but even a 500 mile deposit can help keep your account active. 

If you haven't used frequent flyer miles or aren't sure how to get started, this comprehensive post from Travel with Bender is a great resource! 

These are just a few ways to make sure your miles stay active and you don't lose out! Do you have other tips or great frequent flyer mile stories? Share them in the comments!